ATHENS, Ga. (June 30, 2006) – The University of Georgia Foundation announced today it has named four new members to its Board of Trustees;  Jefferson “Jeff” Knox of Augusta, William “Wick” Searcy of Savannah, Michael H. Godwin of Valdosta and Kenneth G. Jackson of Chattanooga, Tenn. Their terms of service begin July 1.

• Jeff Knox earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Georgia in 1984  He is executive director of the Knox Foundation, a position he has held since 1998, and also serves on several non-profit boards in the community. Knox formerly served as vice president at Allied Bankshares for 12 years.

• Wick Searcy is an attorney and partner with the Savannah law firm of Brannen, Searcy & Smith. A Thomasville native, he graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1964 and with a Juris Doctorate in 1967.

In 2004, Searcy retired as a major general and commander of the Georgia Air National Guard, with which he had served since 1967. He currently sits on the board of the Citizens Bank of Cairo and is a member of the Savannah Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and the American Bar Association

• Mike Godwin is CEO/President of The Ambling Companies, a real estate development firm that specializes in niche markets including student, affordable, senior, military and resort-style single-family housing.
  

Godwin is a member of the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International, the National Home Builders Association and the Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition. He also sits on the board of PAB Bankshares, a Valdosta-based holding company for Park Avenue Bank, and several Valdosta non-profits.

• Ken Jackson graduated from the University of Georgia in 1979 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting.  He also earned a Masters of Accounting in taxation from the university in 1980.  Jackson has served as CFO of Dalton-based Shaw Industries since 1996. Prior to his current position, he worked for the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen for 14 years.

A former member of the Terry College of Business alumni board, Jackson currently sits on the Tull School of Accounting Advisory Board and on the advisory board of insurance company FM Global.

“These are four outstanding additions to our board,” Chairman Read Morton said.  “Each of these individuals brings a special skill to the board that should prove beneficial to the foundation and to the university.  I look forward to working with them in the years ahead.”

Each of the new members was approved by unanimous vote of managing trustees at the foundation’s annual meeting and will be welcomed at the next full board meeting in Athens this fall.

About The University of Georgia Foundation:
The University of Georgia Foundation was founded in 1937 with the sole mission of enriching and enhancing academics at the University of Georgia.  It accomplishes its mission by accepting and managing a broad range of financial gifts offered by supporters. 

At present, the foundation administers approximately $525 million in total assets, $454 million of which are donor funds that pay for scholarships such as the prestigious Foundation Fellows and Ramsey Scholarships among others.  The foundation also provides funding in other areas with academic enhancement in mind, including endowed chairs and faculty salary supplements.

The foundation’s Investment Committee has proven to be a responsible steward of donor funds, having earned 10% annually on foundation investments for a decade. This enviable track record betters the vast majority of foundations in the U.S. and also tops such benchmarks as the Dow-Jones Industrial Average and the S& P 500.

For Further Information:
Carol Cookerly, president
or Chip Stewart, senior vice president
Cookerly Public Relations
Atlanta, Ga. 30326
(404) 816-2037